Dial and switch mechanism



Aug. 14, 1934. EICKHOFF 1,969,926

DIAL AND SWITCH MECHANISM Filed July 28. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet, l

43; :4 29 9 I 57 L3 Zinnentor W f I (lttgrneg T. H. EICKHOFF DIAL AND SWITCH MECHANISM Filed July 28. 1932' 2 Sheets-Sheet, 2

3nvenfor 720500095 .E/ CK/S aF/T Patented. Aug. 14, 1934 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE DIAL AND SWITCH MECHANISM Theodore H. Eickhoif, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to The M. L. Jeflrey Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio s ub-sum July as, 1932,'Serlal No. 025,513

9 Claims. (01. zoo-.1)

This invention relates to a dial and switch mechanism.

In certain forms of electrical apparatus an ex- I ample of which is disclosed in the copending application of Max L. Jeffrey, et al. Serial No. 573,018 filed November 4, 1931, it is desirable to provide selectively operable switches and it is convenient to provide a dial mechanism for effecting 'such operation. Accordingly, it is an obiect of-this invention to provide a novel form of dial and switch mechanism which afiords many novel features of operation and function that may better be understood by reference to the above mentioned copending application. The various advantageousfeatures of the present in-. vention will appear more clearly in the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a dial and switch mechanism embodying the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in cross section taken diagrammaticaliy through the dial mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detailed view in rear elevation of the dial mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation illustrating certain parts of the invention in detail.

Figs. 5, 6 and '1 are diagrammatical views i1- lustrating the selective operation of the switches. In some types of electrical devices, such as that disclosed in the aforesaid application, various se lectable electrical circuits are provided the functions of which are associated with definite predetermined actions on the part of the person who manipulates the device. It is desirable to provide a selective switch mechanism to control such selectable circuits such that the nature or character of the activity on thepart of the operator will be represented by the selected operation oi the switch mechanism. Also, it is desirable that the selective switch mechanism afiord a plurality of selective manipulations corresponding to the selective circuits which are designated with certainty so that an operator may eflect such operation of the switch mechanism easily and certainly. According to this invention a dial mechanism for selectively operating switches is provided to effect such results. In order to afford certain and facile selective operation the dial 1 is provided with a plurality of apertures 2 into which the finger may be inserted for operating the dial. The dial 1 bears symbols 3 adjacent each of the apertures 2 so as to inform an operator which aperture to select in operating the dial for any particular reason. The symbols 3 may connote the nature or the reason for the action which leads him to manipulate the dial 1. tured, as indicated at 4, to receive the squared end 5 of the shaft 6, suitable means suchas a screw and washer 7 being provided to'secure the dial 1 upon the squared end of the shaft 6. Operation of the dial 1 rotates the shaft 6.

In order to avoid confusion in reading thesymbols'upon the dial mechanism it is desirable to provide for a conspicuous display of any one only of the symbols, which is indicative of the position of the dial and connotes the nature of the activity in which the operator is then engaged. According to this invention, a disc 8 is mounted by hub 9 upon the squared end of the shaft 6 and carried in rotation therewith. The dial 1 and the disc 8 may be united by pins 10 upstanding from the hub 9 and engaging in apertures in the disc 1 in register with the pins 10. The disc 8 carries symbols which are the counterpart of the symbols 3 upon the dial 1. A shield 11 overlays the disc 8 and hides the symbols upon that disc from view except for an aperture 12 in the shield 10 which-may be located in any desired angular position on the disc 8, the aperture 12 beingarranged to register with the apertures 2 in the disc 1 when the latter disc is in proper angular position. When the operator inserts suitable means into an aperture 2 and manipulates the dial 1 to a particular position, which is determined in a manner later to be described, the corresponding symbol will be displayed through aperture 12 in the shield 11 and that aperture 2 in register therewith. Suitable clips 13 support the shield 11 and are secured in any suitable way as by means of screws to base member 14.

In order that the dial mechanism may be employed to selectively operate a switch and in orassociated symbols, may have definite significance it is necessary to provide initial and final positions of operation of the dial. To provide the initial position for the dial and associated parts, a disc member having the hub 16 through which the shaft 6 extends and is secured thereto by pins 17 passing through the hub 16 and the shaft 6. An abutment 18, which may take the form of a pin, extends from the disc 15. The abutment 18 is arranged to bear against the stop 19 which conveniently takes the form of a bell crank as shown in Fig. 3. The stop 19 is supported upon the base member 14 by suitable means such as the screw 20. The stop 19 provides a suitable position de- The dial'l is centrally aperdeer that the various dial apertures, with their termining the initial angular position of the dial 1 and associated parts. In order that the dial and associated parts will be not subjected to violent shock when reaching the initial position it is desirable to afford shock absorbing means by gradually absorbing the momentum of the returning elements. The stop 19 may conveniently be employed as a part of the shock absorbing means and for that purpose the spring 21 may be connected between one arm of the bell crank 19 and a lug 22 on frame member 14. Abutment 23 limits the movement of the stop 19 when struck by the abutment 18. The spring 21 provides a progressively increasing force which slows up and.

stops the dial and associated parts gradually when they reach the initial position. The force exerted by the spring 21 is suiilciently great to turn the dial and associated parts in a forward direction until the motion of the stop 19 is limited by the abutment 24. With the spring 21 maintaining the stop 19 against the abutment 24 and with the abutment 18 bearing against the stop 19 the ini-" dial 1. Accordingly, a guard or stop 25 is pro-f nvidedtooverlaytheapertures2inthedial1so that the finger or like object inserted into an aperture2willstriketheguard25asthcdial1 is tm-ned in a clockwise direction. The guard 25 is carried upon an arm 26 extending back of the dials 1 and 8 and fixed on the end of hub 27 by peining the end of the hub 27 over the margin of the aperture in the arm 28through which the end of the hub 2'7 extends. The hub 27 is mounted for rotation in the journal 28 of frame 14. The shaft 6 passes through and is iournalled in the hub 27.

While for certain purposes of the invention the stop 25 may be made rigid, other elements of the invention performing their functions in an unhindered manner, it is desirable, in other instances of use of the present invention'such as that disclosed in the copending application, to utilize the guard 25 to perform functions in addition to that serving as a limit stop to determine the final position oi the dial. Thus where it is desirable to effect the control of electrical circuits incident to each forward operation of the dial 1 the stop or guard 25 may be conveniently employed for that purpose, although, the alternative of providing a rigid stop together with other suitable means operated in any suitable manner with each forward movement of the dial to effect suitable circuit control operations are limiting position of the operation of the dial 1,

of providing for a circuit control operation incident to the operation of the dial 1, and of proflnalpositionofrotationolthediall anabutmcntorstop3'|' mrriedby againstwhichthearmflstrikmwhm serves tolimittbe clock-"malt otthe imitcompooedotflieumlflhubflandlrma.

While various dcmmts d the inventlm and themodeofopcrationtogethu-withtheirmuu ingtoa +-timemheduleyctaccordingtocertsinusesofthisinvmtimsmhasthat disclosedinthecopmdhmlppliamitisdceithero tanopentororlnuixiliaryusociated force or event. In ordato provide for maintainingthedialandlmciatedmrhotthemchanisma coiledthcmofthe frameldandwiththe powlflrcspectiveiy.

springnisammedtourgethepawlminto nandattheothcrmdwithtbehlgfiontbelio under the action of spring as.

frame 14. tends to maintain the latch 43 in the position illustrated in Fig. 3 wherein the pro- Jection i5 abuts against the end of the latch 43 and the pawl so is held out of engagement with the latch 31. When the dial is turned to a final position and the guard 25 is actuated, the arm 28, which is carried with the movement of the guard 20, strikes against the laterally projecting finger ll on the latch is and moves the latch in a coun ter-clock-wise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, so as to clear the projection i5 and allow the pawl 44) to be moved into engagement with the ratchet 3? 'Thus the guard 25 and associated element performs the fourth iunc= time of releasing the pawl to lock the dial and associated parts in adjusted position.

In order to provide for the release oi the dial and associated parts before they return into initial position the pawl so is provided with an arm 48 arranged to be engaged by the cam bar 429 having a sloping surface and being reciprocable in guide 50 supported on the frame 14 and having a head 51 which may be pressed to move the cam bar as against the aim ea to effect rotation of the pawl do in a counter-clock-wise di rection, as viewed in Fig. 3, thereby disengaging the pawl 40 from the ratchet 3'7. The movement of the pawl 40 under the influence of the cam bar 49 carries the projection 45 beneath the end of latch 43 and the spring 46 moves the latch 43 into engaging position so that when the cam bar 49 is released the pawl 40 will be held out of engagement with the ratchet 37 by the latch 43. The arm 28, associated with the guard 25, is maintained in the position illustrated in Fig. 3 by the spring 34, as before described, in which position the return of the latch 43 to its engaging position is unhindered. A suitable spring may be provided within the guide 50 for returning the cam bar 49 to a position such as to free the pawl 40 for movement into engagement with the ratchet 37 when the occasion arises. Thus means are provided to effect the release of the dial and associated mechanism for returning to initial position which means are actuable by manual ma.-

nipulatlon.

The latch 40 may have the extension 52 arranged to be engaged by hook 53 on electromagnet 54. The electro-magnet may be under control in accordance with any desired event associated with the system involving the dial mechanism of this invention and may be employed upon actuation to withdraw the pawl 40 from engagement with latch 3'7 and permit the return of the dial and associated parts to initial position. The dial and associated parts may be returned to initial position by manual manipulation, under the influence of an auxiliary force controlled in accordance with any desired event, or, preferably, the dial and associated parts may be returned automatically to initial position when released under the influence of spring 55 coiled about the hub 16, one end of the spring 55 being connected with the disc 15 and the other end with frame 14.

The various positions to which the dial mechanism and associated parts may be adjusted may be conveniently translated into control effects upon the electrical circuits in any desired manner. Conveniently, the disc 15 may be provided with a cam face affording the dwell 56, the rise 57, the dwell 58, the rise 59, and the dwell 60. A cam follower in the form of a roller may ride upon the surface of the cam disc 15. A bar 62 may have the roller 61 iournalled therein and be actuated in reciprocation from the cam disc 15. The various dwells and rises of the cam disc 15 may be associated in any desired combination and order with the various positions of adjustment of the dial and associated parts. Likewise the positions of the cam disc 15 may be translated into any desired combination of circuit control effects through the bar 62 or through any other suitable means. A particular illustration or the circuit control effects which may be obtained are illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. Fig. 7 may illustrate the original position of the adjustment of the dial in which the cam follower rides or rests on dwell 56. In that position the switch blades 63, 64 and 65, which are under the control of the bar co, are positioned to close contact pairs 68, 67 and 58 to eifect a suitable circuit control. In other positions of the dial 1 the cam follower 61 may ride upon or rest upon the dwell 58 in which position the contact strips 53, 64 and 65 are positioned so as to make con tact at contact pairs 69, 6'7, 70 and 71. When the cam disc 15 is in theposition illustrated in Fig. 5, which may correspond to the position of maximum rotation of the dial 1, the cam follower 61 rests or rides upon the dwell 60 and the bar 62 is in such position that contact strips 63, 64 and 65 effect contact with contact pairs 69, 70 and '71 only.

While the invention has been described in detail by way of illustration it is not intended so to limit the invention inasmuch as modifications and variations in the construction and arrangement of the partsand their sequence and inter-relation of operation may be made as will be apparent to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a manually operable dial, one or a plurality of contact switches, means associated with said dial for operating said switches,

and means having limited movement with the dial for automatically locking the dial and switches in a predetermined position.

2. In combination, a manually rotatable dial, one or a plurality of contact switches, means operable through rotation of said dial for operating said switches, a movable guard member mounted adjacent said dial and adapted to be contacted by the finger of an operator when the dial is rotated to a certain position, and means actuated by said guard member for locking said dial and switches in a predetermined position.

, 3. In combination, a manually rotatable dial, one or a. plurality of contact switches, a cam rotatable with said dial for operating said switches, a. movable guard member mounted adjacent said dial and having means associated therewith for locking the dial and switches ina predetermined position, and electrical means for unlocking said dial and switches.

4. In combination, a manually rotatable dial,

one or a. plurality of contact switches, a cam rotatable with said dial for operating said switches, a movable finger guard member mounted adjacent said dial, and means rendered operable through movement of said guardmemher for locking the dial and cam in a predetermined position of rotation.

5. In combination, a manually rotatable dial, one or a plurality of contact switches, a cam rotatable with said dial for operating said switches, a movable finger-actuated member mounted adjacent said dial, means associated withandrenderedoperablethromhniovement 0! said member lot a 100K111! the dlalandcamina posi than, and a manually operated means for unhcklngsaiddialandcamtopermitthemtoretum totbeirinitialpoaitiom.

8-1a amanually rotatable dial,

movable guard member for operating said secondnamed switches.

8. In combination, a manually rotatable dial, one or a plurality of contact switches, a cam rotatable with said dial for closing said switches, a movable finger-actuated member mounted over said dial and having means associated therewith for locking the dial and cam in a predetermined position of rotation, and both manually and electrically operated means for unlocking said dial and cm to permit them to return to their initial positions.

9. In combination, a rotatable dial, a movable stop member arranged to be contacted by the finger or other dial engaging means used by an operator to rotate the dial, said stop member having limited movement with the dial, a switch, means associated with said stop member for actuating said switch, means Ior locking said dial in a predetermined adjusted position, said stop member being independently movable to operate said switch.

THEODORE H. HCKHOF'F. 

